Plan to open government bond trading to public unveiled amid IMF review

Dawn reported that the Pakistani government has unveiled a strategic action plan for developing the Local Currency Bond Market. As part of this, the general public will be permitted to trade government securities, such as treasury bills and bonds, through the stock exchange.

The announcement came during a visit by an International Monetary Fund staff mission, which is reviewing the country's programme for a potential disbursement of around $1.2 billion. The mission, led by Iva Petrova, met with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Discussions between the IMF mission and authorities also covered the power sector, privatisation, petroleum-sector issues, the Federal Board of Revenue, and the automobile sector. The finance minister briefed the mission on macroeconomic indicators, credit rating improvements, and the investment climate.